The Second Alliance
by Evolutional
Summary: After Alyss died 14 years ago, Will has become grim and depressed, not caring about his three children. His children both hate him and feel sorry for him. After Faye moves away to learn from Malcolm, the healer, the family splits in two. But Faye is kidnapped by the mysterious Second Alliance and spirited away. Does Will care enough to save her?
1. Prologue

This is my first story so please review and criticise XD. By the way Ranger's apprentice is in no way my idea and it all belongs to John Flanagan. But the idea of this story is mine. ( ^_^ )

* * *

"Will, for the millionth time, will you stop pacing?" Halt's brusque voice resonated around the small cabin. A young man with curly brown hair looked up. Although he was in his twenties, there was an air of solemness and calm that made him an intimidating figure. But today that calm seemed to have deserted him completely.

"I can't stop it Halt! Why can't I just go in there?" Will looked up with pleading eyes at his former master. Like Halt, he was part of the Ranger Corps, an Araluen organisation of people that had been through arduous training to achieve perfect aim with the long bow and planning skills of any experienced strategist.

"Will, she'll be fine. Now will you stop pacing?" a young man about Will's age looked at Will sagely before laughing. He was strongly built, the kind of man that could bash at the enemy all day without getting tired. Will gave him an anguished look before pacing even faster and harder.

"Tell me Horace, who was the person that had paced all around while it was Evanlyn's turn?" Halt arched an eyebrow at Horace and he grinned sheepishly.

A piercing cry sounded through the timber walls of the cabin. Will stiffened and sat down before standing up and pacing again. Lady Pauline, Halt's wife, rushed out of the room and looked at Will. He was like a son to her and to see him so anguished made her heart ache. But business was business and she told him the news in a prompt way.

"Will, Alyss is weak but doing well. She's lost a lot of blood though. We might even have to bring Malcolm in afterwards. The healer says she'll live though". At the last sentence, Will collapsed into a heap on to the floor.

Halt rolled his eyes at this. "Honestly Will, are you a man or a useless puddle?" he asked in a sardonic voice. Horace laughed but quickly turned it into a cough. Lady Pauline glared at her husband, he would need reprimanding later. Halt caught the look he got and stopped laughing.

"But Halt, how can I not be nervous when Alyss is giving birth?" Will asked.

Halt shrugged and took a quick glance at his wife before saying in his usual sarcastic tone, "You could stop pacing."

* * *

Halt rubbed his stubbled cheek. Even hours after when he had been slapped by Lady Pauline, it still hurt. He stood up, rubbing his backside. It was sore from sitting on the hard wooden benches in the wooden cabin. He looked outside. The sky was being by threads of violet and the sun dipped down below the horizon. He had been sitting for hours.

"Will, could you stop pacing?" Will ignored him and paced even harder and faster. Horace's snores resonated throughout the cabin. Suddenly, Lady Pauline's slim figure walked out into the room.

"Will, she's done." Lady Pauline held on to Will's hand like a mother to a toddler and led him into the room. Will paled and stood up, trying to pay no attention to the amused faces Halt was making. _You were the one who was slapped_ he thought.

Alyss was pale and sickly, but to Will, she looked the most beautiful he had ever seen her. Her arms were around two bundles. She had hardly looked at him since he had entered the room and he realized what she was looking at. The world seemed to spin around him.

"Meet your twins, Will"


	2. Chapter 1

Ranger's Apprentice is not mine but John Flanagan's but this story is mine. XD. Don't forget to review and comment and stuff…Thanks for reading by the way. Since this story is set after And About Time Too, I don't know what happened in the Royal Ranger (book 12) so I've had to be a bit vague. Well, enjoy!

* * *

The rosy dawn cast a bloody glow over the horizon, washing everything in a violent crimson. No clouds softened the effect. A lone granite cross stood on top of the hill, silhouetted by the sun. Caterin stared at the cross. Two words were etched into it. _Alyss Mainwaring_. Her mother.

It had been fourteen years since her mother had passed away. Now that she was fifteen, a young woman by Araluen standards, Caterin didn't think she cared about her mother. There were no memories of her. Although if she strained her mind, some vague sensations of hugging a warm body or holding hands with a comforting spirit came. But sometimes Caterin thought she did care and that her father wouldn't be so grim and that they'd all be a happy family. Without death. Without sadness.

Long ago she had scoffed at that idea and she still did. But sometimes, just sometimes, she had a change of heart.

"Caterin! Caterin! Wait for me" a few wheezing coughs followed this. Caterin looked down the hilly slope into the face of her youngest sibling Faye. She was the only one of all the Treaty siblings that had blond hair and grey eyes like their mother and Will always seemed to like her more than he did with herself or Daniel. Which wasn't saying much as he generally ignored them. So much that they all lived in the Ward, a place for orphans.

Faye stumbled up the path. She was crippled; her leg had been broken when she was small and it had never healed properly. She was a slight sickly child, and although she was thirteen, Faye looked like a girl of eight or nine. Daniel and Caterin had grown to be a bit protective of her.

Caterin ran down the slope to help her sibling. She scooped her up in her arms and carried her to the hill. They sat down in the shade of the apple and Caterin climbed the branches to pick some of the succulent fruit. She gave one to Faye and together they feasted on apples and some biscuits she had brought from the Ward.

"Caterin, are you scared for today?" Faye's quiet voice seemed to be magnified in this blood-washed dawn.

"What're you talking about Faye?" Caterin cocked her head to the side and looked at Faye. Inside her, butterflies were spinning somersaults in her stomach. Anything could happen at the Choosing. But she'd never tell Faye.

"I mean like, what if who ever you want to be with doesn't want you?" this question was louder, as if Faye was gaining confidence.

"Faye. I'm going to tell you something. You know what, I am actually-"Caterin's reply was cut off by an arrow whizzing past her and burying its point into the tree. Caterin didn't bother to turn around and said in a scornful voice "Really, is that the best you can do?" she arched an eyebrow at her brother behind her.

Daniel was slim handsome boy of average height, with dark brown, almost black, hair. His brown eye sparkled with boyish mischief although they also held an element of sadness and bitterness.

"We can't have you reveal all you secrets to Faye" he mockingly shook his head.

Caterin kept the arched eyebrow and glared at her brother.

"Don't you remember what day it is today?" Daniel said in more serious tones.

Caterin shook her head and Faye mumbled something through her biscuit that sounded like no.

"It's the anniversary of Mother's death." Daniel said in quiet voice.

Caterin looked at him with a panicked look. "Don't you get what this means?" she shouted at him. "Dad's coming up here. He always does at dawn".

This was followed by a moment's pause before a new voice joined the conversation.

"What in the blazes are _you _doing here?"


	3. Chapter 2

Ranger's Apprentice isn't mine but this story is mine XD. Hey guys, thanks for reading and everything, I can't believe people actually bothered to read my story. I'll try and update every week at least. When I was writing this chapter, I was lost on how to make Will behave since he's changed a lot since And About Time Too (Short story in Book 11). Enjoy!

A short figure trudged up the hill with a heavy scowl on his face. It marred his features and seemed to darken the atmosphere although a dawn was spreading throughout the hillside. His hair was a curly brown although streaks of grey ran through it. He brandished his bow and arrow and stared at Caterin, Faye and Daniel.

He swore which directed a gasp from Faye.

Caterin glared at him. "Dad, I mean Will; we are allowed to go anywhere we want. You don't rule the world."

Will drew his saxe knife and walked towards his children. Now that he was closer, they could smell the drink in his breath, and the sweat upon his brow. He struck at Caterin, a blow meant to scare not to harm. "What the hell are you doing here!" he then gave a withering look to Caterin though she didn't flinch, instead her ebony hair flared out behind her.

"Girl, I am your father and I can do anything to my children, you hear!" the last two words were shouted at Caterin.

"Get back to the Ward now otherwise I'll have to hurt you." Will shouted at them. Faye quivered but Daniel and Caterin glared at their father. However his saxe knife was close to Faye and the only one armed was Daniel, with his small flimsy hunting bow.

Daniel gathered up Faye and Caterin packed up the picnic food. Will watched every move with a sort of intense heat and his heavy breathing was audible throughout the hillside.

"Will, I-"Caterin's words were cut off by a grey-shafted arrow, which thudded into the apple tree.

Together, they raced down the hill and back to Castle Redmont. Caterin was staring ahead, tears held back by anger. Even Daniel was tense, gripping on to Faye like she was a life raft. Faye was sobbing madly into Daniel's chest, not caring about her dignity.

* * *

By the time their tired legs brought them to the Ward, the dawn had disappeared and the sun cast a glaringly bright white light. Greta, the Matron of the Ward clucked over them and asked them where they had went. The other Ward members had already left the hall and were heading to their chores. The eldest ones were already heading up to one of Castle Redmont's numerous halls. This particular hall was located near Baron Forlog's study, so the young baron would not have to walk far. After his adoptive father, Arald, abdicated, he had found that the workload was tremendous and constantly spent time locked away in his study.

Caterin and Daniel hurried to the hall, feeling unclean and sweaty. On tired legs they had made the journey and by the time they had made it to the Hall, the other Ward members were already assembled. Caterin could feel her cheeks burning. In the middle of the hall, she could see King Horace, talking to the other craftmasters. Upon their arrival, he had looked up and grinned and Daniel and her but this only served to intensify her blush.

Trumpets blared and a robust black-haired man strode out of the oaken doorway. Behind him, a mousy little secretary scurried after the young baron waving hands and saying in hurried tones that it was not proper for a baron to be announced before the king as the king was of higher position than a baron and-. The speech stopped there because Forlog mouthed a silent 'shut up' to him and gave the secretary a withering glare.

The secretary moved up and inspected each of the Ward members, scrutinising their clothes and hands and staring at them to make them nervous. When he arrived at Caterin, he stared especially long and hard. Daniel nudged her and she smiled. This was enough to shock the secretary into moving on.

Forlog waited patiently for his secretary to finish before he began his speech.

"For those of you who don't already know, you are not here to wash the bird droppings off my window, although it certainly needs doing." Forlog cast a meaningful glance in the secretary's direction while laughter rang throughout the hall. "Today is your Choosing Day, a day when you are able to pick a craft to learn from our craftmasters." He cleared his throat. "I'm sure many of you recognise his majesty King Horace here." Several heads nodded. "Many of you will want to know why he is in Redmont, not Araluen. Following Battlemaster Rodney's death," Caterin remembered the tragic hunting accident when a boar had crashed into Sir Rodney's stallion, causing Sir Rodney to fall from the horse and crack his skull on the ground, "we have been at loss on who to replace the former Battlemaster. His majesty King Horace has decided to take up his former master's position for a year." An excited flurry of chatter swept across the hall. It was immediately silenced by Forlog's wave. "Now the Choosing will begin."

* * *

It had been thirty minutes since the choosing began. A few girls had been taken under the guidance of Jenny, the Redmont chef and Lady Pauline. George, the Scribemaster had taken in five girls and five boys and Wulf, the Horsemaster had chosen two girls this year, a first since six years ago, and numerous other boys. They didn't receive as many this year as last year though, as many youths were hanging back for Battleschool.

"Daniel Treaty!"

As his name was called, Daniel felt an unfamiliar surge of panic as he stepped up to the craftmasters. Forlog looked down at the boy. "What do you choose as your craft?"

Daniel was taken back by the suddenness of the question and he hesitated. "I ask for the craft of a Ranger and Ranger Gilan as my master." Behind the cowled hood he could see a grim shadowed face. Although, he thought he saw the tiniest flicker of a smile from under that hood. Daniel knew he had made the right choice.

"Do you, Ranger Gilan accept this Ward member as your apprentice?"

"I do" Gilan's voice was quiet yet to Daniel, it seemed as loud as thunder.

"Caterin Treaty!" the secretary's voice only barely filled the hall.

Caterin felt her body shaking and her heart pounding like hoofbeats throughout her chest. Again Forlog asked her that same question and she could feel a lump in her throat. No female had ever said this before in the Choosing.

"I ask for the craft of a warrior and King Horace as my master." A shocked silence followed this. Caterin could feel eyes boring into her like drills. Her blush turned her a violent red colour that ebony-haired people seemed to achieve instead of a rosy pink glow.

But from under the lank curtains of her hair, she could see a broad smile spreading over the faces of Gilan, Forlog and most importantly of all, King Horace. King Horace was grinning so widely that the smile seemed to push his ears sideways. Caterin grinned back at him.

"Do you, Battlemaster Horace, accept this Ward member as your apprentice?"

"I do." At this, Caterin almost melted into a puddle in front of the king. He might have been her second father but today he seemed to be terrifying.

The secretary started to protest wildly, screaming, swinging his arms and saying in puffed breaths that this was not proper as females were- He stopped there because Baron Forlog hit him, right on the face, knocking the life out of him. "Good riddance, he was getting on my nerves." The rest of the hall burst into laughter.


End file.
